Manchester United have two names at the top of their wish list ahead of the summer transfer window: Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen.
Manager Erik ten Hag, as reported by the Manchester Evening News last week, has earmarked Tottenham Hotspur ace Kane as his top striker target and his situation in north London is continuing to be monitored by the Reds. Napoli ace Osimhen is also on the club's radar and is currently one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe.
Although United have made significant progress this season and are on course to achieve a top-four finish, securing a route back into the Champions League for next term, an elusive centre-forward, who is prolific in front of goal, is still missing from their armoury. Without Marcus Rashford's contributions this term, United's highest goalscorer would be Bruno Fernandes with an underwhelming eight.
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It is clear to everyone associated with United that they must add an elite-level striker to their ranks to go to the next level under Ten Hag, in the same way that it was vital that they recruited a defensive-midfielder last summer to reach the level they have so far this season. Though finances will, of course, dictate what United can and cannot do come the summer, if they are able to sign either Kane or Osimhen then goals should not be in short supply next season. At the time of writing, they have netted 43 goals in 65 appearances between them this term.
However, both of them will command astronomical transfer fees, such is their level of importance to both Tottenham and Napoli, respectively. Kane would likely demand the higher fee of the two, such is Spurs' reluctance to sell their star asset to a direct rival and chairman Daniel Levy having previous with United.
Osimhen, though, is not going to be what you would call cheap. He has been outstanding for Napoli this season, playing a key hand in them storming towards their first Serie A title since 1990. He has been front and centre of their efforts, scoring 19 league goals to position himself at the top of the Serie A scoring charts.
Napoli have already warned any interested suitors that it will take a huge bid to consider letting him go, meaning United could find themselves bogged down in a series of never-ending negotiations, just as they were when they attempted to sign Frenkie de Jong last summer. If that proves to be the case, United, if they wished to, could switch their focus to Lille star Jonathan David, who has made no secret of his temptation to play in England.
Although Lille are not launching a title charge of their own in France, unlike Napoli are in Italy, David, just like Osimhen, has taken centre stage in the race for the Golden Boot. He is currently tied with Kylian Mbappe on 19 Ligue 1 goals this season and has plundered 21 goals in all competitions.
Given United have highlighted Osimhen as a genuine candidate to strengthen their forward options, they may also choose to cast their eye over the Canadian international. Like Osimhen, David is a modern striker, blessed with raw pace and athleticism. As we know, Ten Hag preferrers a front-three that is fluid and vibrant, meaning the Lille ace would fit the bill.
As outlined above, David has been just as prolific in front of goal this season, meaning there are similarities between him and Osimhen, in the sense that their respective clubs value them enormously. Though the latter, according to leading data from comparisonator.com, edges ahead of David in many offensive categories, there is not much to split them in several of them, such as their average goal, average assist and successful dribbles per game ratios.
David, however, averages more expected assists per 90 than Osimhen and that could be considered a key trait by Ten Hag, who has recently highlighted the importance of Wout Weghorst bringing others into play. Data comparing David's and Osimhen's passing and link-up play also highlights David's role as a team player. He averages 1.09 key passes per 90 compared to Osimhen's 0.46. The Canadian also averages 10.39 passes into the final third per game.
Like Napoli and Tottenham, Lille will be reluctant to lose David this summer. He is their poster boy and central to the way they play in pursuit of success.
However, if they miss out on qualification for the Champions League, it will be even harder for them to keep hold of the 23-year-old. Therefore, United might have a fallback option in the Canadian, should their pursuits of Kane and Osimhen come to nothing.
Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world that compares players and clubs by utilising over 100 different parameters. Click here for more details.
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